Notes · 2026-08-20
Which free panel for what — and mail on a VPS
Short map of CyberPanel, aaPanel, Hestia, and mrmpanel; plus what actually matters for cheap WordPress VPS and self-hosted mail.
Indexable cheat sheet for the comparisons on this site. Still experimental where mrmpanel is involved.
Panel map
| Job | Start here |
|---|---|
| Escape a cPanel license for your own sites | cPanel alternative |
| Classic free panel vs Docker-per-site | Hestia vs mrmpanel |
| LiteSpeed-oriented free panel | CyberPanel vs mrmpanel |
| LNMP GUI vs Docker model | aaPanel vs Docker panel |
| WordPress without managed hosting | Self-host WordPress |
| Pick a box that can run the panel | Cheap VPS for a WordPress panel |
| IMAP on your own IP | Self-host mail on a VPS |
Install path
Fresh Ubuntu 24.04 (or Alma/Rocky 9–10), root, nothing on 80/443:
Current mirror install is 0.1.29. Release note: 0.1.29.
Mail in one paragraph
Port 25, PTR, SPF, DKIM, DMARC — or use a relay. A panel does not invent a clean reputation. Details: self-host mail.
VPS
- RAM to spare: Contabo
- Simple KVM: Hostinger
- US root box: InterServer
- Domain: Namecheap